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Nature is Awesome: Here are 10 Oldest Living Trees in the World

Trees are wonderful things that nature can offer. They give us plenty of oxygen, clean air, some protection, paper, wooden tools, and a lot more. Moreover, trees can live a lot longer than humans and most animals. There are some trees in this world that might have witnessed Bronze Age and even earlier age. So here are 10 world’s oldest living trees.

1. Methuselah

Methuselah is an ancient bristlecone pine tree located in The White Mountains of California. This tree is the oldest known non-clonal tree in the world. In 2016, Methuselah is approximately 4848 years old. There is also another bristlecone pine in Inyo National Forest which are thought to be older than this tree.

Because the unique, twisted trees are really old and people want to protect them, the bristlecone pines’ location becomes a top secret. You can still visit the forest, but you can never tell which is which. It’s now heavily protected because a scientist didn’t realize that a tree called Prometheus was that old. And alas, the scientist accidentally destroyed it.

2. Jaya Shri Maha Bodhi

anuradhapura bodhi by Balou46 Wikimedia Commons

This fig tree is considered sacred by people of Sri Lanka. You can find this tree in the Mahamewna Gardens of Anuradhapura. According to stories and documents, this tree is a sapling from the Sri Maha Bodhi tree of Bodh Gaya. It’s the tree where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

In 249 BC, people took the sapling of this tree to Sri lanka and planted it. Jaya Shri Maha Bodhi is the oldest, human-planted living tree in the world that has a documented planting date. Buddhists around the world consider this tree as one of the most sacred and revered relics. So, this tree has become a place of pilgrimage for them each year.

3. President Tree

This giant sequoia tree is called President, after President Warren G. Harding. The height and width of this tree is about 75m and 8.2m in diameter. You can find this tree in Sequoia National Park in California. Human looks like a tiny creature compared to this tree.

But when you think this tree is already big and tall, you’d be surprised that President isn’t the largest or tallest tree in the world. Yes, this tree is only the second or third largest tree in the world. However, President is the oldest known living sequoia to date at around 3200 years old.

4. Old Tjikko

old tjikko by Karl Brodowsky Wikimedia Commons

Old Tjikko is a Norway Spruce that resides in Fulufjället National Park, Sweden. The name of this tree comes from one of the tree researchers’ dogs. Carbon dating decides that this tree is around 9550 years old. A silent witness to when Norway gave Härjedalen to Sweden in 1645

There is also another Norway Spruce tree called Old Rasmus. Whether Rasmus is older than Tjikko or the other way around remains undecided. But for now, Old Tjikko is pronounced older. Be careful when you happen to find this tree, because it definitely doesn’t look that old and it looks like it can be broken easily by humans.

5. Olive Tree of Vouves

ancient olive tree by Unukorno Wikimedia Commons

When you travel to Greek island of Crete, you might stumble upon this tree. This olive tree is one of seven Mediterranean olive trees that are around 2000 or 3000 years old. There are no verified claims about this tree’s exact age. But many believes that Olive Tree of Vouves are the oldest among them, with an estimated 3000 years of age.

Olive trees are tough. They’re resistant to drought, disease, and fire. Which is why there are seven trees with more than a thousand years of age. Additionally, the trees still produces olives. And because they come from one of the oldest olive trees in the world, the price for them is high.

6. Jōmon Sugi

In island of Yakushima, Japan, stands a very old and large cryptomeria tree called Jōmon Sugi. The tree is one of the reasons why UNESCO has named the island World Heritage Site. It got its name from a reference to Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory.

There is no known exact age of this tree. Some believes that it’s at least 2000 years old, but others (including experts) claim that this tree could be at least 5000 to 7000 years old. You can observe this tree from afar. Start your journey from Kusugawa Hiking Path and Arakawa Trail. But you’ll be facing 4-5 hour mountain hike, so be prepared.

7. El Gran Abuelo

El algarrobo abuelo by Daniel Scaramella Wikimedia Commons

Gran Abuelo is South America’s oldest tree at around 3000 years of age. It resides in Alerce Costero National Park, Chile. This tree is almost like the ancestor of Patagonian Cypress. There are remains around this type of tree in Monte Verde. It hints that this species were an essential part of humanity in over 13.000 years ago, being used for making tools and weapons.

During Spanish Conquest in South America, this type of tree used to be an important source of timber and currency. This species is now endangered, so they’re strictly protected by the government. Logging the trees is considered illegal.

8. Hundred Horse Chestnut

The oldest and largest chestnut tree in the world is located in Sicily. Many believe that this tree is between 2,000 and 4,000 years old. It’s quite impressive for this tree to have lived this long, because it sits only 5 miles from the crater of Mount Etna. It’s one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

The name One Hundred Horses comes from a legend. It says that in a severe thunderstorm, a company of 100 knights took refuge under the tree’s massive and protective branches. The legend is quite believable, for the tree’s girth is around 57 meters, almost the length of a hockey rink.

9. Sarv-e Abarkuh

Sarv-e Abarkuh or Zoroastrian Sarv is a cypress tree that you can find Yazd, Iran. With an estimated 4000 years of age, tree is so old that it might have lived through the beginning of modern human civilization near it. Many believe that this tree could be the oldest living organism in Asia.

This tree now becomes an Iranian national monument. You can find it easily when you visit the country. It’s still possible to see the lush, triangular tree from up close. Just remember to keep being respectful for the tree as well as the country.

10. Llangernyw Yew

In North Wales, there’s an ancient yew tree located in a small churchyard of St. Dygain’s Church. Some people believe that this tree is between 4000 and 5000 years old, but a theory estimates that this tree is only around 1500 years old. The core of the tree itself has been lost, so it’s fragmented with several enormous offshoots.

If it’s indeed 4000 years old, then this tree might be planted in the Bronze Age. Egyptian Pyramids were still considered a new development around that time. Regardless of its actual age, this tree made into the list of 50 Great British Trees in 2002, in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee.

So what do you think? Do you live around the area of the trees mentioned above? Or do you know some old trees which we don’t know yet? Don’t hesitate to tell us in the comments below. Be sure to leave a like if you enjoyed reading it too!